Intro | Chicago Restaurant Week 2017

Chicago is one of the best food cities in the country and the hub of fine dining in the Midwest. There’s no shortage of fancy restaurants, and there is one for almost every cuisine: Mexican, Vietnamese, vegetarian, you name it and we’ve got it. One restaurant that is breaking the mold is Intro. The concept is pretty unique and ingenuitive. Chefs and mixologists collaborate with Executive Chef Stephen Gillanders to create an original menu while working a “residency.” They don’t really focus on one type of cuisine and the menu is constantly changing and evolving. So, it’s possible to never eat the same thing twice at Intro.

For this residency, Executive Chef Gillanders, Chef Aaron Martinez, and Chef CJ Jacobson take on Chinese and dim sum. These unique dishes are inspired by their travels around the world. I remember Chef Jacobson from Top Chef and was very excited to try his food. I even spotted him running around the dining room visiting with friends.

Finding Intro proved to be a bit difficult at first, because it’s nestled inside the Belden-Stratford Luxury Apartments and shares it’s space with Naoki Sushi. The Belden-Stratford’s lobby has a bit of an old world feel and is the complete opposite of Intro’s modern and contemporary vibe. It’s cozy and the music selection is on point, with a lot of Bowie and New Order. Even though it’s an upscale joint, it never feels pretentious. Our server was personable, attentive and very knowledgeable. Let’s be honest though, the real star of Intro is the food, which infuses traditional Chinese dishes with modern and interesting flavors. There are lots of tasty items on the menu, but the stand-out dishes are the duck fried rice and the caramel-lacquered short rib. If there is one thing that is a must-order, it would be the black truffle-egg drop soup. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

If you happen to find yourself in Lincoln Park and have a hankering for Chinese food, give Intro a shot while you can. Who know’s when the menu will change, but either way, it will be a win for sure.

Vegetable Dim Sum: grilled cabbage with numbing spice, bok choy with chicken sausage, and Szechuan tofu and crispy kale

Though the grilled cabbage was a simple dish, the grilled cabbage was very tasty and had an unexpected complexity of flavor. The bok choy with chicken sausage was nice and savory with multiple textures of crispiness from the bok choy, softness from sausage and crunchiness from the cashews. Most people don't enjoy tofu, but it's one of my favorite things when it's done right and here, it was done right. I loved the spiciness of the sauce and the freshness from the crispy kale. 

Hot Dim Sum: bbq mushroom bao with sesame mayo, crispy shrimp lollipops, and pearl meatballs with chicken

Bao is one of my favorite kinds of snacks and I was very excited to taste Intro's version. I enjoyed the bbq mushroom and I'm a sucker for sesame anything. The crispy shrimp lollipops were so crunchy and light on the brininess of the shrimp. The sauce was amazing and the perfect accompaniment. I could've eaten those all night. My least favorite course of the night were the pearl meatballs. I love dumplings almost as much as bao and these were disappointing. I know they weren't a tradional dumpling, but the rice coating was weird and the chicken filling was flavorless. 

Off Menu: black truffle-egg drop soup with ginger and scallion and the Beijing duck fried rice

Duck can be oily and overdone, but this fried rice was absolutely perfect. The rice had little bits of meat in it and was topped with a savory duck egg to mix. The best part was the crispy bits of skin that added a nice texture and flavor to the whole dish. The black truffle-egg drop soup was a revelation and my favorite dish of the night. There was no imitation truffle or truffle oil in this dish. This was the real deal and man was it delicious. The soup was rich and complex, and the truffle blended so well with the egg, ginger and scallion. It's an unforgettable dish that you’ll want to have again and again.

Large: curry noodles with lemongrass and ginger and caramel-lacquered short rib

The curry noodles was a great noodle/soup course, the texture of the noodles was perfectly al dente and the lemongrass really came through without overpowering the dish. Overall I enjoyed it and it reminded me a bit of Singaporean laksa. The caramel flavoring on the short rib was really creative and something unexpected. Also, I've never had such tender beef before; it literally melted in my mouth. 

Dessert: Hong Kong-style tart brulee

The custard was reminiscent of an egg tart that you could find at a traditional Chinese bakery. It was silky with just the right amount of sweetness. The crust was flaky and the hard caramel was a great compliment to the custard. It was the perfect end to an incredible meal.

Boka | Chicago Restaurant Week 2016

I thought our meal at Sepia was amazing, but our meal at Boka was on another level. Markus and I almost missed out, but we both figured that Restaurant Week only happens once a year. I've been wanting to eat at Boka for ages now. It's been Michelin starred for the past four years and it's one of the most popular restaurants in Chicago. When I went to make a reservation, all the weekends were already booked and I could only book a table for two on Thursday, the last day of Restaurant Week. I'm so glad that we decided to keep our reservation because it was one of the best meals I've ever eaten. 

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Cold Course
Roasted Beets, yogurt, almond, caraway
Marinated hamachi, kohlrabi, grapefruit, horseradish

Our first course was a cold course of roasted beets and marinated hamachi. We had a similar pairing at Sepia. I was completely blown away by both dishes. Every component melded together perfectly, creating something delicious. The beets were roasted nicely and the almonds and caraway were a nice touch. The marinated hamachi with grapefruit and horseradish was an incredible flavor profile and both dishes were a wonderful way to begin the meal. 

Hot Course:
Seared scallop, fennel, morcilla, sherry
Slow poached egg, squash, grains, parmesan

The second course was a hot course of seared scallop and slow poached egg. I love scallops and when they are cooked perfectly, it's like butter. The thing I enjoyed most was that the scallop wasn't overdressed in any sauce and the garnishes only highlighted their natural flavor. The slow poached egg was also very good. It was very simple in flavor but the real winner of the dish was the toasted grains that added a nice crunchy texture.

Entrees:
Grilled short rib, bitter greens, chestnut
Lightly smoked arctic char, beets, dill, brown butter

I loved everything about our entree course, which consisted of grilled short rib and lightly smoked arctic char. I tend to stay away from beef, but I couldn't resist the combination of beef, bitter greens and chestnuts. I was very intrigued and have to say, it tasted great. The meat was the real highlight and very tender. The arctic char was delicate and was accentuated by the brown butter, dill and beets. I loved how subtle the fish tasted and then when you added the garnishes, the flavor intensified. 

Desserts:
Dark chocolate mousse, 70% south american cacao, creamsicle
Coffee & hazelnuts, praline, whole milk ice cream

The dessert course was a delicious end to a wonderful four course meal. I love dark chocolate in all it's forms and I had to try the mousse. I really liked it, but Markus made a comment that the creamsicle crumbles tasted like Fruity Pebbles. After that, it was all I could think, but I like Fruity Pebbles, so it worked out for me. The coffee and hazelnut dessert was a teensy bit better than the mousse. I think it was because of the addition of the caramel. It added a little bit of sweetness that I didn't know I wanted. Overall, this entire meal from Boka was incredibly good and I would not hesitate to return even if it wasn't Restaurant Week.

Sepia | Chicago Restaurant Week 2016

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One of my favorite things about living in Chicago is the abundance of delicious restaurants. Since moving to the city, Markus and I have been making our way through some of the hottest restaurants in the city. The best time of the year to visit the more expensive restaurants is Restaurant Week. For two weeks, restaurants throughout the city have prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner. As soon as the list was released, I immediately made reservations at Sepia. My friend Josh, recommended the Michelin starred restaurant. The four course menu is a steal at $44 and an opportunity we couldn't pass up.

Top: Cured mackerel, green olive, celery, golden raisin, toasted ciabatta
Bottom: Salad of fennel, blood orange, baby arugula, cashew dukkah, labne

Of all the courses we had, the first course was my least favorite. It's not that it wasn't good, it just wasn't memorable. To begin with, I'm not a fan of mackerel. It's a bit too fishy for me. The only time that I was able to truly enjoy mackerel was in Kyoto. Markus is a huge fan, so he loved the dish. I did enjoy the garnish, which was a perfect blend of salty and sweet from the olives and raisins. The salad of fennel was sort of a one note and didn't really wow me. I really can't even recall what I liked about it, but I do remember it was very refreshing. 

Top: Braised duck raviolo, rosemary, medjool date, grana padano
Bottom: Soft boiled egg, mushroom ragu, black truffle butter, toast

This second course was incredible and I would eat both dishes again in a heartbeat. I love duck in all it's forms, it's one of my favorite meats. The raviolo was so good, seriously, one of the best dishes of the night. The sauce they used brought out the sweetness in the duck. Markus and I were both quite sad we had to share one. The soft boiled egg was good, but the real star was the mushroom ragu. I would order just a bowl of that and eat it all day. 

Top: Spice crusted whitefish, potato masala, broccoli raab, coconut milk
Bottom: Grilled Berkshire pork collar, cheddar-corn spoon bread, collard greens, smoked apple butter, “pot liquor”

The third course was my favorite of the night with the best dish being the grilled Berkshire pork collar. The meat was so tender and flavorful and absolutely perfect with the spoon bread and collard greens. At the table next to us, a woman sent the dish back and it took everything in me to not grab it and eat it. The spice crusted whitefish was also very delicious and by no means a dud. The pork was just a knockout.

Top: Chocolate hazelnut tart, fig jam, pear, caramel
Bottom: Ginger-lime parfait, mango coulis, rum gelee, coconut crumble

The final course of the meal was just as good as the previous. Sometimes desserts in these pre fixe meals are a bit of an afterthought, but Sepia delivered. The ginger-lime parfait was so light and elegant. The flavors weren't overpowering and the coconut crumble added a nice texture. I preferred the chocolate hazelnut tart, because it was the kind of dessert that I always crave. It was chocolaty, but not too sweet. It was my last bite of the night and the perfect end to our first meal at Sepia.